Roman Restaurants Refusing Service?

No.. they are just out to get you..

Seriously .. most Italians eat later in evening,.so I bet you were looking for dinner between 7.30 and 8.30.. in which case you might in fact find empty tables.. but they are booked for 9 or 10. In North America we would double book a table like that.. in general its not the done thing in many Europeon countries.

I'm pretty sure you are over sensitive.

If those seats weren't really booked, they would have no reason to tell potential customers to stay away. Empty seats don't generate revenue.

Restaurants owners don't give a damn where you are from, as long as you pay. And actually they covet American customers more because they are known for being lavish spenders and, unlike Italians or Europeans in general, leave a tip to boot.

Additionally if you have a restaurant in Trastevere, and count to sit Italian customers only, you are not in the right business. Many customers in Trastevere are foreign tourists nowadays.

No. They were probably booked for later in the evening, since Romans eat after 9pm.

I had exactly the same experience in Trastevere last year. I was traveling alone, so I wondered whether they didn't want to give a table to a solo diner. Clearly not the issue with you, so I imagine it is the case that the tables were booked for a bit later in the evening.

One of the places that turned me away looked like a hole in the wall, very down-market. But I learned later that it is included on Rome foodie tours and is known as a place where local chefs go for local specialties when they get off work. So I can well believe it was booked up.

Some restaurants put out signs on tables that are specifically requested, but many restaurants don't bother.

Italian restaurants expect one seating per evening; they will hold a table for you until you show up, especially if you are a regular (meaning you've been there at least once before).

Tonight is Friday, a night popular for eating out.

I'm glad that you had better luck in the other cities. I've certainly encountered the same issue in Venice and Florence, not only Rome.

If a table is empty because it's booked for 9:30 pm (the usual dinner time in Rome), and you show up at 8pm, they will not give you that table. The table will be kept empty until the reserved party arrives at 9:30pm.

That's because once they give you a table, even if it's 7:30pm, the table is yours until closing time. It's not like in America where they clean the table and bring you the bill before you are even done eating. If you noticed, nobody brings you the check until you ask (multiple times).

Rushing a party out to clear the table is considered a very serious example of bad customer service, and Italians will start an argument if a restaurant owner/waiter tried. My former director in Italy during our annual department dinner engaged in a major argument (almost a fist fight) with the owner simply because the waiter came to take our order before we told him we were ready to order (it was 1030pm and they were rushing to take the order before they closed the kitchen).

Great explanation from Roberto: they really are booked for all the reasons he has provided. If we don't have reservations - which is normal for us - we hit the door at the opening hour when they feel more confident that we'll be out of there by the time they need the table. Being seated at an early hour hasn't been a problem at many of the more casual restaurants so far. A high-end one with a dress code? Might be a different story but we don't do those anyway.

Yep---if the tables are reserved for later they will not seat you, even if the reservation is hours away.

We encountered one exception in Madrid, where the locals typically dine very late. We stopped by a small, family-run, highly rated place right when they opened, at 10 pm (!) and asked if they happened to have a table free. The hostess said no, but the American wife of the owner happened to be close by and intervened. She said she had a table that was reserved for 11:30 but we could have it right then if we promised to be finished before 11:30. She smiled and said she only makes that kind of offer with Americans---a Spaniard would be insulted at being asked to commit to a finish time. We did take the table,ordered two courses each, and finished in time ( they made sure to take our order and bring the food without delay).

Our experience especially for major cities - Rome, Venice, Florence, etc., reservations are expected. Have bump into similar situation as described. So we just make reservations. Some times we will make the reservation at 5 for 7pm or swing by at lunch and make the evening reservation. Need to learn how to adjust to local customs and practices.

I've had similar experiences in many big cities of Europe. Just ate at a very nice place in Copenhagen...arrived around 7:30 PM and was told that they only had 1 table available - the place was empty. We took the table and sat there, skeptically thinking that they were full of it.
Within 45 minutes the place was packed! I've had this experience more than once...it always surprises me though!

That all makes sense. I had observed that there was never an attempt to "turn tables", as there is in the US. I guess we did not realize that some reservations were voluntarily as late as 9:30. In the US, such a late reservation generally means that was the earliest reservation you could get for a given evening.

Thanks for the insight.

I've sat in many a restaurant at 7:30 or 8:00 all by myself and wondering if I made a terrible choice. But inevitably the food was good and by the time I was about done (and I don't eat fast), the place would be packed. I've also seen many walk-ins turned away even though most of the other tables are empty - because they are reserved for later.